Wrexham and Flintshire roads are most dangerous in North Wales

They have highest rates for accidents and casualties in 2012

ROADS in built-up Wrexham and Flintshire were the most dangerous in North Wales for accident and casualty rates last year, it was revealed yesterday.

Wrexham was also the most risky place for children in traffic, according to crashes recorded by the police.

The Welsh Government welcomed an overall fall in road casualties across Wales, especially in fatalities. “This demonstrates that Wales has one of the safest road networks in the world. But we recognise that there is still much to do and want to see a further reduction in casualties,” a spokesperson said.

The numbers killed or seriously injured in Gwynedd have risen from 81 to 88 and in Conwy from 43 to 58.

In the North Wales force area, there were almost 16 accidents and 23 casualties per 100km of road, with comparable figures in Dyfed Powys police force around 10 accidents and 15 casualties.

Sergeant Mark Jones from North Wales Police Roads Policing Unit said: “Whilst it is encouraging that the number of fatal and serious road traffic collisions are reducing it is important we don’t become complacent .

“Therefore we strive to reduce further the number of killed and seriously injured on our roads.

“Together with our partners we will make the roads of North Wales safer by continuing to encourage, educate and where necessary enforce strict adherence to the 'Fatal Five' Road Traffic offences of drink and drug driving, speeding, using a mobile phone whilst driving, not wearing a seatbelt and dangerous / inconsiderate driving.”

Overall, the number of victims killed on Welsh roads at 93 was down by almost a quarter last year compared to 2011.

This was the second lowest figure for road deaths in Wales since the mid 1920s, with the lowest achieved in 2010.

And it is a little over a fifth of the peak level for the number of people killed on the roads in Wales, which was 424 deaths in 1974.

But Wrexham, up 15%, and Carmarthenshire are the only areas where casualty numbers in 2012 are higher than both 2011 and 2010, suggesting the downward trend in casualties may have stalled.

While the overall numbers of child casualties has generally fallen across Wales by a third since 2007, Wrexham has seen a 25% increase, and Denbighshire a 6% increase.

Just eight out of 22 council areas saw a drop in the proportion of children hurt going to or from school.

Flintshire at 28 and Wrexham 27.3 have the highest accident rate per 100km in the North Wales as well as casualty figures of 39.4 each. Wrexham is the most dangerous for children, with 5.4 casualties per million vehicle km travelled.

Welsh casualties have continued a downward trend. The jump in people killed or seriously injured in 2011 seems to have been a blip, as this has also resumed a downward trend, although numbers of people killed isn’t falling as quickly as previously.

During 2012 there were 5,971 road accidents involving personal injury recorded by the police, 463 (7%) fewer than in 2011 These accidents resulted in 8,565 casualties, 841 (9%) fewer than in 2011.

Pedestrian casualties saw a slight increase in 2011 but has resumed a downward trend.

For cyclists, 2011 saw a rise in casualties which has now fallen but not quite back to previous levels. Motorcycle casualties rose in 2012, after falling from 2006 onwards. However, the increase seems to be in less serious injuries.

Swansea has the most dangerous roads in terms of crashes with 42.3 accidents per 100km but you are most likely to be injured in Cardiff with 72.9 casualties per 100km.

The highest proportions of pedestrian and cyclist casualties are in Cardiff – nearly one in five (18%) and 13% respectively.

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The Editor

Mark Thomas

Liverpool-born Mark joined the Daily Post in January 2014 after seven years as editor of its Merseyside sister title the Liverpool Post. He started out as a weekly news reporter on Wirral Newspapers, and spent seven years at the Daily Post and Liverpool Echo. He was The Press Association's regional correspondent for North Wales, Merseyside and Cheshire from 1983 to 1997, before returning to the ECHO as deputy news editor. He has won a number of journalism awards, including the UK Press Gazzette Regional Reporter of the Year award, and in 1993 wrote a book on the James Bulger murder.